popular mechanics home & diy guide 2010

The ¥%2-inch drive is the heavy hitter of the socket wrench kingdom, followed by a switch hitter, the ¥%-inch drive, which is big enough to do light-duty automotive work yet small enough

a YOUR GUIDE TO HOME PROJECTS,

TIPS AND INSIGHT

AMAZON

I0UL GHANNEL

FIDMIE

DY

FALL 2818

SIOIN pages of Popular Mechanics magazine, offering

a useful and entertaining array of home DIY

ideas, tips and projects In addition to all the valuable ideas and information, you'll find links on the ad pages enabling you to purchase products immediately on Amazon.com—so you can go ahead and get started on all of your fall clean up and home improvement projects

DIY TIPS & KNOW HOW

©) 50 Tools We Can't Live Without

@® The Dirty Home

@ 2010 Smart Home

€)) Test Your DIY IQ

40 Wall Mounting a Flat-Panel HDTV

we need Is a really bịg box

Man is “weak in himself, and of small stature,” wrote

19th-century essayist Thomas Carlyle Yet, with tools, “the

granite mountain melts into light dust before him, seas are his smooth highway, winds and fire his

unwearying steeds.” And this from a guy who never felt

a 5800-rpm circular saw scream to life in his hand

While much has changed since Carlyle’s day, one thing hasn't: We need tools to build, repair and maintain the

mechanical world in which we live With these 50 tools,

you Il be ready for just about any project—whether it’s melt-

ing mountains or swapping out the kitchen sink

Photograph by Charles Masters

Portraits by Sarah Shatz

a wood-splitting wedge

through a big log Handle it like

a putter to salvage architec-

tural elements such asa

post-and-beam barn frame that needs knocking apart Most of us are better off with

an 8- or 10-pound model that

we can swing easily, not a 16- to 20-pounder

Zi

@ In theory, you use a center

punch to start holes in metal

In practice, it’s far more useful than that You can tighten a loose handle on a knife or shovel by centering the punch

on the rivet and then firmly striking it with a ball-peen

hammer, expanding the rivet S head In a pinch, you can also use a center punch like a steel pencil to mark a line on

wood or metal Or you can use it to countersink a large

nailhead or drive down the

stub of a broken nail or staple

3

@ The putty knife is more than a single implement Rather, it’s a group of tools, ranging from knives with flexible, thin blades to heavy-duty models that are ground with a tip like a chisel

(which, not surprisingly, are

called chisel-edge putty knives) Better tools have a high-carbon steel blade;

plastic, disposable ones

are perfect for the no-scuff

application of putty on painted surfaces

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Safety

Glasses

@ DIY projects may come

and go, but you won't get a

second shot at good

vision—protecting your eyes

should be your first priority

Opt for high-impact safety

glasses over those rated

“basic impact.” For maximum

protection, wear high-impact

goggles because they cover

more of your face and the

area around your eyes

5 Adjustable Wrench

@ For portability and

convenience, you can't beat

the time-honored adjustable wrench, which enables you to turn a wide range of nuts and bolts with a single tool If you're going to own just one, make it a 10- or 14-inch model so that it’s big enough for residential plumbing fittings Pull it so the reaction force is applied to the fixed jaw, not the movable one

AIRCRAFT RESTORER

Will Lee

MUST-HAVE TOOL: metal file (8)

If the deadly twin-engine Heinkel 219 had been available in larger numbers, some World War II

historians speculate, Germany might have stopped the Royal Air Force bombing that hastened

the end of the war As it was, fewer than 300 of the gun-bristling night fighters were made

Today, one remains, and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Will Lee is slowly

piecing it back together Along with a rawhide mallet for hammering aluminum, the aircraft

restorer’s go-to tool is a metal file He relies on four dozen files to finesse excess metal—both

single- and double-cut, triangular and those he’s cut down to shave rivets “With a file, I can get

right down to the lines I've scribed,” says Lee, who did electrical work and built prosthetic limbs

the teeth bite forcefully into smooth, round surfaces

While most pipe wrenches

are cast iron, spring for an

aluminum model if you face a long day of plumbing

7 Socket Wrench Set

@ Reach for a socket wrench when you need to tighten fasteners or loosen frozen ones The ¥%2-inch drive is the heavy hitter of the socket wrench kingdom, followed by

a switch hitter, the ¥%-inch drive, which is big enough to

do light-duty automotive work yet small enough for some appliances Reserve the 1⁄4-inch drive for appliance and electronics repair

before joining the Smithsonian in 1990 He prefers hand tools for the most precise fits “I seem

to have more control doing it the way I’ve been doing it for years,” he says

STILL LIFES BY CHAD HUNT DIAGRAMS BY ILL.DESIGN

9 Combination Square

©@ Used for marking out, measuring and testing the squareness

of corners, the combination square is versatile and accurate For maximum

precision, first position your pencil (or the scratch awl stored in the head), then gently slide the square to the pencil (or awl) and

strike your line Check

the tool’s accuracy

by marking a line

90 degrees toa straightedge Flip the square and make another mark next to the first If the two lines are parallel, the square

is, well, square

POPULAR MECHANICS / HOME & DIY GUIDE FALL 2818

is covered in shiny chrome If you're lucky enough to have inherited the set from your dad, that makes it as precious as the silver, while cheaper to insure No one knows who

invented the combination wrench or when, but

it was popularized in the U.S by Plomb Tools

in the 1930s, a period of social and technologi- cal ferment As automobiles became more numerous and sophisticated, so did the tools

to work on them New steel alloys and forging

methods have only improved the wrench with the passage of time Today’s wrench is thinner, sleeker and stronger than the bulky ones it replaced; it weighs half what it did in the ’20s While it is hard to improve on perfection, in

2006 Craftsman introduced a new twist— literally—in its Cross-Force Combination Wrenches, turning the handle so your palm presses on the tool’s broad face, not the narrow edge Back when blacksmiths forged tools, they would inscribe the year onto the head as

if to announce that it would last decades,

maybe centuries, into an uncertain future

A fine set of wrenches, bearing dates or not,

exudes the same sense of permanence

And it’s safer than a chain

saw for removing tree limbs

12 Jigsaw

@ Because a jigsaw cuts with an up-and-down motion and its blade is

13 Coping Saw

@ A hand tool with a thin blade stretched ina C-shaped frame, the coping saw is also adept at intricate cuts: It is named for the technique of coping,

or cutting, joints where two pieces of molding meet As with any saw, choose a blade with more teeth fora finer cut, and one with

fewer teeth for faster,

somewhat rougher cutting

A blade with 15 teeth per

inch, or tpi, should do the trick for general use

® Call them side cutters,

linesman pliers or electri-

cians pliers By any name, the heavy jaws and shears make them indispensable for cutting electrical cable and for pulling the steel tape used to fish wires through wall and ceiling cavities

Models rated as “high leverage” can cut nails and

bolts, while those equipped

with a die near the jaws can press together the crimp connectors used on grounding wires

15 Hacksaw

@ The fine-tooth blade of a

hacksaw can cut through

iron and steel, as well as

through tough materials like hard plastics and cable

With a blade known as a

carbide-grit rod saw, it can

even slice ceramic tile For

metal, use a carbon-steel blade with 14, 18, 24 or

32 tpi Opt for a bimetal blade for high-tension pro models, which exert tremendous tensile force in order to hold the blade arrow straight in tough cuts The bimetal blade’s

carbon-steel back, bonded

to a high-speed-steel front, can take the tension

make the finest cut, but it’s

the perfect jack-of-all- trades saw for small jobs, like the occasional 2 x 4 Hold the saw so that its toothed edge is 45 degrees

to the work surface, and start the cut by drawing the saw back very lightly Use full strokes, engaging

as much of the toothed surface as possible

@ You don't have to be a metalworker to appreciate snips This tool cuts sheet steel, copper and aluminum, but also rubber, heavy cardboard and plastic Pro models have color-coded handles to indicate whether they are designed for left curves, right curves or straight cuts (red, green and yellow, respectively) Homeowners can get by with a single, all-purpose utility snip

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19 Needle-Nose Pliers

@ When you need to fisha dropped screw out of a tight

space, when working on electronics for example,

there's nothing handier than

a pair of needie-nose pliers

Their elegant shape is also perfect for fastening a wire to a switch or outlet receptacle: Grip the wire at the tip of the jaws and roll the pliers to produce a neat hook, then fasten the hook

Drill Bits

@ For almost all general hole drilling, most of us can get by with a set of 15 or 18 high-speed-steel twist drill bits You don’t need to ia to a full set to deal with special circumstances, such as knocking a hole through a brick wall or boring through nail-infested lumber Buy these expensive, single-purpose bits one at a time As the years pass, the specialty bits add up, allowing you to tackle any job that comes along without a trip to the hardware store

shovel digs, cuts and

pries, but, like any

tool, its efficiency

depends on you Start

with the shovel

perpendicular to the

soil, and use your

weight and leg

muscles, not your

arms, to drive it down

To toss dirt, hold the

shovel close and keep

your forward hand on

the blade socket Bend

both knees If you're

right-handed, point

your left foot in the

direction of the toss

under the terminal screw

20 Drill

@ Cordless drills readily combine speed, power and portability—so for most of

us, they've already replaced the corded variety They also come with a clutch that disconnects the drive

mechanism when it reaches

a dialed-in force setting, preventing the user from stripping the screw While 14- to 18-volt models can handle most jobs, some drills have voltages in the

mid-20s or even 30s for

power that rivals that of the corded product

10) POPULAR MECHANICS

HOME & DIY GUIDE FALL 2818

22 Locking Pliers

® An early multitool, locking pliers—patented in 1924—are sometimes known by the brand name Vise-Grip They function like ordinary pliers but also asa wrench or welding clamp

Their powerful grip works well to remove stubborn nails or fence staples

23 Level

@ A9-inch torpedo level is perfect for small jobs like hanging pictures, but you need a 2-foot or longer carpenter's model for bigger projects, such as leveling

appliances and bookshelves

or plumbing posts to

support a fence or mailbox Another bonus: Long levels make a nice straightedge

24, Circular Saw

@ Nothing beats a circular saw for speed and

convenience when it comes

to making straight cuts ona variety of materials It can crosscut lumber or rip plywood, of course But with a nail-cutting blade, a circular saw can also do

demolition work; with an

abrasive blade, it can saw through masonry and metal

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The name stands for Water

Displacement 40th attempt, since it took inventor Norm Larsen, founder of the Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego, 40 tries to finda

formula to stop metal

corrosion by displacing the water that causes it WD-40

removes adhesive, cleans bike parts, stops squeaks and

loosens rusted bolts And it

has a few more unusual

applications: Police once used

it to remove a naked burglar

stuck in an a/c vent

ceiling height Extend it horizontally and it’s

stiff enough to bridge several feet of open air A 25-foot model is sufficiently long to handle most home construction jobs, yet small and light enough to stash in a nail pouch or clip to your blue jeans

ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGER

Eddie Hibbert

For the past quarter-century, Eddie Hibbert has patiently

restored old mantels, doors and other brownstone artifacts, becoming a living legend in the New York City salvage community Despite the friendly, informal atmosphere around his Brooklyn shop, the work is made hazardous by wood chips,

flying debris and lung-choking dust—some of which emanates from pieces that predate the 1978 U.S ban on lead-based

paint “That stuff will kill you,” Hibbert says That's why his

crucial tool isn’t a scraper or a sander—it’s a respirator The

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

recommends a disposable or cartridge-type half mask (not

pictured) with a P100 rating to remove lead dust For Hibbert,

buying the best respirator he can find is money well-spent

Breathing new life into old architectural pieces is Hibbert’s

® Anail set allows you to countersink nailheads without damaging the surrounding surface, then

conceal the holes with wood

filler While you can use a set that’s one size larger than you

need, don't try to use an

undersize one—this can damage the tool's cup-shaped tip To ensure you've got the right size, get a set of four:

1⁄42-, 1⁄4s-, 3⁄22- and 1⁄4-inch

30 Machinist Vise

® Whether stationary or swiveling, a vise is like an extra set of (really strong) hands for securing your work Cast-iron models function well for most applications, but buy a forged-steel vise for anything heavy-duty If you cut a lot of pipe, choose a vise with V-shaped jaws to grip round material For moderate metal pounding, choose one with an anvil behind the jaws

While it’s no substitute for a

blacksmith anvil, it is handy for small projects

In 30,000 B.C., someone altered the destiny

of the human race by lashing a stick toa

rock, arefinement that increased the user’s

strike speed and accuracy The hammer was born Later, stone begat bronze, begat

iron, begat steel—a material that could be

forged into a ruthlessly efficient shape Yet,

after all these millennia, the wood handle

remains, preferred by craftsmen for its light weight, shock absorbency and balance It was the post-World War II housing boom

all-business, California-style framer, a

swift, long-handled striking tool with a vicious claw A nail gun might be fast, but

in two or three clean hits

FURNITURE MAKER

Keith Fritz

MUST-HAVE TOOL: wood chisel (31)

“My favorite tool is a big, flat 10-inch chisel with a

Ind., where both his father and grandfather farmed land

and worked wood As a high school student, he won

back-to-back annual statewide competitions, one of them

for an intricate Chippendale-style secretary with slots, drawers and secret compartments Planning to study theology, he moved to Washington, D.C., and attended Catholic University but heard the call of furniture-making

instead Bill and Hillary Clinton own one of his dining tables, which sell for up to $30,000 A few years ago, Fritz

moved his shop from the seminary’s basement to Jasper

There, he builds furniture inspired by old designs using

mostly hand tools—and never a scrap of sandpaper “You

can tell an antique is real by looking at the tool marks,” he

says “Pre-1880, there was no sanding involved I can get the same effect with a really sharp chisel.”

33 Allen Wrench

@ Also known as hex keys,

Allen wrenches are not wrenches in the conven- tional sense but are more like screwdrivers, as they fit inside the fastener head

rather than surrounding it

They're handy for knock-

down furniture and setscrews on faucet bodies

34 Earmuffs

@ Hearing damage is permanent, but it’s also

preventable Earmuffs, as

opposed to earplugs or headphones, provide maximum protection Really loud shop tools, such as chain saws and circular saws, may operate above

POPULAR MECHANICS HOME & DIY GUIDE FALL 2818

100 decibels—and noise higher than 85 decibels begins to cause damage

Choose a product that has a high noise-reduction rating (NRR)—preferably in the range of 23 to 33

35, Flashlight

@ A flashlight is useful for more than emergency power outages Selecta freestanding swivel-head model for brightening dark work areas Choose one with a built-in magnet to adhere to pipes, steel beams or the inside of an

ia that you are sical

37 ~

repairing For truly rugged use, opt for an LED light with as high a drop-test rating as possible: Some industrial-quality flash- lights are rated for falls as high as 25 feet

36 Bow Rake

@ Rugged and simple, the bow rake remains the best device for raking heavy material, such as gravel or tangled sticks The bow acts

as a shock absorber, protecting your arms while

you work If you turn it over,

the straight back can also

be used to level soil

Volt/Ohmmeter

suggests Aside from measuring voltage and resistance (ohms), it also measures current flow (amperage), and most modern versions emit a tone to signal a complete circuit (continuity)

bolts, rivets and pins

and to cut cold (as

opposed to torch- or

forge-heated) metal

Strike it with a

ball-peen hammer,

preferably one with

a head ¥% inch larger

than the end of the

chisel You can get a

better view of the tip

by gripping the body

with tongue-and-

groove pliers Always

wear Safety glasses

when striking a cold

chisel, and never use

it on stone or

concrete

Ball-Peen Hammer

hammer strikes cold chisels and punches, while the dome-shaped end rolls over the edges of rivets (peening)

or works curved sheet metal

The hammer ranges in size from 4 to 50 ounces (with large models serving as

blacksmiths’ hammers), but

the 16-ounce size works well

and fits in crowded toolboxes

you re turning, a screw-

driver with interchangeable tips is a compact, conven-

ient alternative to a drawer

full of tools Plus, a handheld screwdriver often gets small jobs done faster than a cordless one

41 Gooseneck Bar

@ This is also calleda wrecking bar—for good reason A curved neck gives the steel tool incredible prying power, perfect for separating two pieces of lumber that are nailed together Rely on small models up to 18 inches long for light-duty demolition, but graduate to a 36-inch bar for the big stuff

more utility could you want?

Okay, better blade storage

But advanced designs have swing-out blade loading, as opposed to a cranky, hollow, two-piece body

43 Pry Bar

@ Shorter and flatter than a gooseneck bar, a pry bar is most useful for removing trim and paneling Many

variations exist, but the

most versatile types have at least one nail-pulling slot (two is better)

44 Square-Nose Shovel

@ The square-head design makes this shovel ideal for scooping debris and measuring material When using it to place concrete, work the back of the blade against the inside surface of

a slab form to consolidate concrete there The long, flat blade is also handy for

popping drywall off walls

during demolition

45 Extension Ladder

@ Ranging in length from

16 to 40 feet, extension ladders put most projects safely within reach To ensure you don't buy a

ladder that comes up short,

buy one at least 7 feet longer than the height of the object you need to reach

When in doubt, check the

manufacturer's label to compare the ladder’s length

to its actual reach

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Conventional vacuums have wheels that don’t steer properly

The Dyson vacuum pivots on a ball

The motor is inside the ball, lowering

the center of gravity and making

steering even easier

Howard Manning, chief engineer for the Champion DeArment Tool Company, invented tongue-and-groove pliers in 1933, improving on standard designs by adding length and leverage and increasing jaw width The new tool caught on among car mechanics, who used it to repair water pumps In 1953, the company’s engineers redesigned the tongue and groove, undercutting the tongue to give the toola firmer bite—a tweak that prevents it from slipping and busting your knuckles They’ve made other improvements over the years, but the instantly recognizable grip color—probably the only hand-tool color ever trademarked—has remained the same “Back in the early 1950s, all the plier manufacturers started putting colored PVC on their grips,” says Bill DeArment, great-grandson of the company’s founder

Crescent chose red; Stanley Tools, yellow DeArment’s father and uncle picked a beautiful sky blue that no one else had—and the

@ its name to Channellock; DeArment is the president and CEO And ay VE

today, tongue-and-groove pliers are an essential for mechanics, farm-

@ Apick is like a pipe

wrench—not very versatile,

but when you need it, nothing

else works nearly as well If

you spend most of your time

breaking up hard, rocky soil,

get a railroad pick—the type

with two pointed ends, ora

narrow chisel tip on one side

and a pick on the other

Although using a railroad pick

to break soft and medium-

hard rock has become a

dying art, it can be done

when the rock already has a

crack into which you can

drive the tip of the pick The

tool can also be used for

chopping through asphalt,

and it’s effective at severing

CATTLEMAN

Mark Roeber

MUST-HAVE TOOL: rope (49)

“Everything we do involves some type of tool,” says Mark Roeber, a fifth-generation cattle-

man who runs a cow-calf operation in Paonia, Colo “It’s the lifeblood of how we get things

done.” Roeber reproduces and raises cattle on a ranch that has been in his family since 1889

But for six months of the year, his 400-odd head graze on 90,000 acres of federal land, 60

percent of which is roadless wilderness So Roeber and his partners work on horseback,

relying on one of the oldest and most versatile tools known to man: rope Using both nylon

and cotton ropes, Roeber lashes down packs, leads his horse and, when he’s breaking ina

new animal, rigs up a bitless bridle known as a bosal hackamore He rides with a 35-foot

lariat tied to the fork of his saddle “Out on the range, that’s how you catch livestock for

doctoring or pull them out of bogs,” Roeber says When he rides off to repair fences, he loads

a packhorse with a roll of wire fence, fence-mending tools and a folding pruning saw for

clearing brush along the way And he never parts with his folding knife: “I use it to get out ofa

wreck with a horse if I get caught up in the lead rope, for digging splinters out, sharpening a

roots when equipped witha

pick blade on one end anda

mattock on the other

48 Stepladder

The safest way to reach things inside the house is with a properly sized step ladder Although they range in height from 3 to 20 feet, the most useful ladders are those

in the 6- to 10-foot range—

tall enough for you to change light bulbs but not so large as

to be unwieldy If you need to gain height in an awkward

location, such as on the

stairs, a multiposition ladder solves the problem with hinged and telescoping legs that adapt to uneven footing

pencil, even writing on a tree to leave somebody a note.”

Extension Cord

@ Large jobs require

extension cord to match The minimum spec for most DlYers should be a 14-gauge cord rated for

15 amps Buta 12-gauge cord is better, and a 10-gauge contractor-quality cord better still, because it ensures minimum voltage drop along its length

POPULAR MECHANICS 19 HOME & DIY GUIDE FALL 2818

DOW BOX BORDERS YOU

1 MOW GFCI TRIPPING

Spring cleaning around the home and

shop may not be fun, exactly, but it is

necessary If there’s any pleasure to

be found in the work, it’s in handling it

efficiently You already have a can-do

attitude, otherwise you wouldn't be

reading PM And chances are you

own a shop vacuum, and maybe a

pressure washer Here's the battle

plan to win this dirty war

a > >

Indoors WORKSHOP CLUTTER

The chief culprit in workshop mess is

sawdust It's slippery underfoot and

dangerous to breathe, so making

short work of it should be your first priority Begin by suiting up Wear a dust mask and old clothes or, better yet, coveralls Yeah, we know, it's

GRIME BELONGS ANYWHERE BUT ON YOUR HOUSE’S SIDING

OR SHOP FLOOR HERE’S HOW

TO PUT ITINITS PLACE

BY LOGAN WARD

inside

THE RIGHT CLEANERS

something out of your dad's genera- tion—but keeping a pair of coveralls hanging in the shop will make it eas- ier to keep clean Store them there

to keep grime out of the house and cut down on dusty laundry Your dad was right about a few things

Begin sawdust cleanup by work-

er from the top of the shop down

Sometimes your hands

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FOR BEST RESULTS,

hanging fluorescent shop lights Speed

the job along by buying an extra length

or two of hose for your shop vacuum,

enough to reach every corner of your

shop This makes post-project cleanup

quick and easy; instead of having to roll

the vacuum cleaner around the shop,

you simply walk the hose around

Once the floor and shelves are free

of dust, turn your sights on bench-top

clutter Make sure every tool has a

home by hanging hand tools on peg-

board or storing them in boxes, but

keep tools you're using in a plastic

tote That keeps them portable—and

off the bench top You can put them

away when you're done

27 GARAGE FLOOR

GREASE AND OIL

You're better off dealing with spilled

soaked into a concrete floor Sprinkle

on an absorbent powder—while every- one has heard of using kitty litter, you can also try dry cement or sawdust

Leave it for a few hours, then sweep

up If you really want to do a thorough cleanup, wet the area and sprinkle liquid dishwashing detergent, such as Cascade Wait a few minutes Pour boiling water on the area and scrub

with a stiff-bristled brush Then rinse

3] BASEMENT MOLD |

A moldy basement is a sign that you've

got a moisture problem So don't bother cleaning until you've found the

cause and completed foundation

a layer formed after

the water has

evaporated, leaving

behind a thin layer

of soap and mineral

particles Acid-

based cleaners such

as vinegar and CLR (calcium lime rust) attack soap

scum’s alkaline

chemical bonds

POPULAR MECHANICS HOME & DIY GUIDE FALL 2818

Dish detergents,

powdered or liquid

alkaline cleaners, solvents

Detergents contain

surfactants,

additives that reduce water's

surface tension and help it dissolve the chemical bonds of grease molecules

Alkaline cleaners, such as dish detergent, attack

greasy and oily

acidic deposits

Solvents loosen molecular bonds,

allowing grease and oil to be blotted up

Powder or liquid

alkaline cleaners, such as those that contain ammonia or trisodium phosphate

Alkaline cleaners

break up and

suspend soil molecules in water,

allowing dirt to be

flushed or scrubbed from a surface

POPULAR MECHANICS HOME & DIY GUIDE SPRING 2818

repairs and drainage projects After

that’s out of the way, cleaning is a piece

of cake Kill mold and mildew by mop- ping with a solution of a half-cup to

1 cup of chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of

water A squirt of nonammoniated dish- washing liquid will help lift the mold and mildew from the surface Rinse, then pick up standing water with a shop vacuum Blot up what remains with old

towels Evaporate remaining moisture

by circulating the air with fans

Oita

Don't feel bad if you've got moldy

bathroom grout and tile It can happen even if you clean conscientiously We have a home-brewed formula to han-

dle it (though you shouldn't use it on

colored grout) Make a paste of Bon Ami Polishing Cleanser and chlorine

bleach diluted with water Ironically,

people buy Bon Ami because it doesn’t contain bleach or harsh abrasives, yet

it’s these qualities that make the prod-

uct an ideal foundation for a bleach- based poultice Scrub the paste over the tiles with a soft brush Let it dry, and rinse it using a brush and a pail of water Wash off the hazy residue with

a damp cloth, and wipe dry

dust down Don’t apply so much

water as to create a slurry To remove

smoke stains, mix a half-cup of triso-

dium phosphate (TSP) in a gallon of

hot water, or use a commercial scour-

ing powder that contains bleach Use the spray bottle and wet the brick- work with water, so that it won't

sponge up whichever cleaning agent

you choose

Now, scrub with a stiff-bristled plas- tic or natural-fiber brush You may be tempted to use a wire brush to scrub off the deposits, but don't do it The brush is likely to damage mortar Rinse the surface with warm water and blot the crud that comes off with rags

21

PM DIY HOME ///

CLEANING HOUSE

Outdoors

Few things are as unappetizing as

starting a nice family cookout on a

nasty-looking grill So scrape off the

big stuff with a putty knife, then spray

the grates with a noncaustic oven

cleaner Seal them up in a plastic gar-

bage bag and let them sit overnight

Scrub with a brass brush and rinse

with a garden hose; then get on with

the family feast

©rmmrrmmwrmx

Dirty siding: bad Clean siding: good If

only this job were that simple Begin

by covering outside light fixtures or

electrical outlets with plastic bags

We admit that this next part sounds

odd, so bear with us Minimize streak-

ing by washing the siding from the

bottom to the top Otherwise, the

streams of solution racing down will

leave hard-to-remove streaks Rinse

the opposite way—from top to bot-

tom Yes, pros often do just the oppo-

site, but if you don't do this for a living

and don't have the equipment and

experience to move very quickly, fol-

low our advice Don’t overlook the

bottom edge of lap siding, soffits or

anywhere that dripping water can

cause a buildup of dirt

To clean aluminum siding, use triso-

dium phosphate (TSP) and warm

water Use a soft brush and don’t scrub

so vigorously that you remove the fin-

ish For vinyl siding, gentle scrubbing

with some warm water and a little

dishwashing liquid should do the trick

For mildew-covered siding, try a

product like Jomax House Cleaner

and Mildew Killer It's added to a

solution of warm water and bleach

and applied with a garden sprayer It

can often remove dirt and mildew

without scrubbing

©rEiTrrwmnnmarnrwa

Do yourself a favor—tackle this job in

the morning, while it’s still cool Use a

broom and a leaf blower to remove

1200 to 3000 psi is all

you need It's light-duty

compared to those that

Do: Wear long pants,

gloves and protective eyewear

e Hold the nozzle 6 inches to 1 foot above the surface, or per the

manufacturer's directions

Don't: Spray against

glass windows or doors

or direct the spray upward when cleaning lap siding

or sidewall shingles

e Spray against electrical meters or network boxes for phone or cable service

leaves and dirt You've been waiting for

a good use for those old recip saw

blades you can't part with Here's one:

Use them to rake weeds and dirt out

of cracks Mix up some general house- hold cleaner, such as Spic and Span, in

a bucket with warm water, and scrub

with a stiff-bristled broom Rinse well

with a garden hose To keep out weeds, fill cracks with asphalt crack sealer

If you're well experienced with a pres-

sure washer, you can carefully work

your way over the surface with a

25-degree spray nozzle For the inex-

perienced, scrubbing by hand is more

likely to clean, not splinter, the wood

Before you begin, thoroughly rinse nearby siding, trim and doors using a garden hose and spray nozzle Wetting

these surfaces prevents debris from

⁄

15° Nozzle

Removes caked-on dirt, : grass Strips

7

40° Nozzle Cleans and rinses

of warm water Work a small area,

then rinse before moving to the next,

to ensure uniform cleaning

id] LAWNMOWERS |

If you've come this far, a little more

cleaning won't kill you Dried clippings

block airflow above the mower's deck

and hold moisture below Brush them off the deck and from between the

engine's cooling fins Disconnect the

lead from the spark plug, tip the mower on its side and scrape under the deck with a putty knife, and then

rinse it with a garden hose Tip the mower down; remove the engine shroud and vacuum the area clean

with a shop vacuum Remember to

reattach the plug wire, though, or you'll

never get that mower to start PM

POPULAR MECHANICS 23

AMAZON

TK

little like limbo—how

low can you flow?

The bar now sits at

1.28 gallons per

flush But Niagara's

Stealth toilet sips

only 0.8 gallons per

flush thanks to a dual

trap system that

MINHA CREATE MORE EFFICIENT BUILDINGS AND MORE EDUCATED INHABITANTS BY HARRY SAWYERS

fills As the fixture

flushes, the air travels up into the tank to displace the water in a tiny torrent to the bowl

POPULAR MECHANICS 2h

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